The Greek that is translated as a form of “teach” is translated with some figurative phrases such as “to engrave the mind” (Ngäbere) or “to cause others to imitate” (Huichol). (Source: Bratcher / Nida)
In Noongar it is translated as karni-waangki or “truth saying” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
In Fijian, the paucal exclusive forms neitou and keitou (“of me and a few [two or slight more]”) are used instead. This choice is understandable in view of the introduction found in both letters to the Thessalonians, where the writer Paul indicates clearly that the letters were co-authored by two other colleagues, Silas and Timothy, hence the use of a pronoun referring to three people (“Paul, Silas and Timothy”).
The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)
In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Thessalonians 2:15:
Uma: “So because of that, relatives, strengthen your faith, hold strongly to all that we taught you, both what we said with lips, and what we write in letters.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Therefore, my brothers, cause your trust to be firm/steadfast and really keep/store (in heart and mind) the teaching that we (excl.) taught you when we (excl.) were there and the teachings in the letter that we (excl.) sent to you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of this, brothers, strengthen your believing and hold tight to all we have taught you by means of our preaching to you there and by means of our letters to you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Therefore brothers, make-firm in your minds the teaching we (incl.) inherited which we (excl.) taught you while we (excl.) were there (near addressee) and in what we (excl.) wrote you so that you will be-sure-to follow it continually without going-astray.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Therefore, siblings in believing, hopefully (you will) hold fast in that your believing/obeying the truth which we (excl.) taught to you there is sturdy, teaching which we (excl.) spoke or which we (excl.) wrote.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Therefore now, my brethren, make your faith firm. Believe the word I taught you. This is the word I told you when I went to where you live, it is the word I wrote in a letter and sent to you, they say the same.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
So then and our brothers show that Paul is introducing a new thought. After having spoken of God’s activity, he turns briefly to what his readers must do. Stand firm (see 1 Thess. 3.8) and hold on refer to action over a period of time. Instead of being “shaken” (v. 2) by false teaching, the Thessalonians must remain loyal to what Paul and his companions taught them, both by word of mouth during their first visit and by “a letter of ours,” presumably 1 Thessalonians.
It is frequently impossible to use the metaphor stand firm. In some languages it would be taken to mean “defend yourselves.” Useful equivalent may be “continue to believe as you have,” “do not change your beliefs at all,” or “do not let anyone change your beliefs.” The two expressions, stand firm and hold on to those truths, are essentially equivalent in meaning. They are simply two different ways of describing how one should remain true to one’s convictions. Hold on to those truths may often be rendered as “continue to believe…” or “do not give up believing those truths.”
Those truths is literally “the traditions.” This word can have a bad meaning, as when Jesus condemns those who “hold fast the tradition of men” (Mark 7.8), but that is not the case in this verse. Paul is referring here to a body of teaching which was not simply his own way of presenting the Christian message (cf. “our gospel,” v. 14), but which was shared, at least in general terms, by the church as a whole. This teaching was partly doctrinal (as most probably in this passage) and partly to do with worship and daily life. Paul does not mean only that he handed these truths on to the Thessalonians, but also that the truths had been handed on to him (cf. 1 Corinthians 11.23, 15.3). Bible en français courant (cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal) has “the teachings which we have passed on to you.” Moffatt‘s “rules” is too narrow. An equivalent of “the teachings which we have passed on to you” may be in some languages “what we taught and which we in turn had earlier been taught,” or “… which others in turn had taught us.”
In our preaching may be rendered as “when we were talking to you,” or “when we were preaching to you” In our letter may be rendered as “in the letter which we wrote to you.” It may, however, be necessary to be more explicit, for example, “in the earlier letter we wrote to you,” thus avoiding the suggestion that Paul is referring to the letter he was dictating at that time.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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